Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-09-24
DIVISION OF THE TERRITORY.

r
The question of division of the terri
tory is the most important one now be-
fore the people. It is q matter in
which every voter in the territory has
an interest, which to him is, or ought
to be, a personal one. Our legislators
have frequently memorialized congress
for division, but as yet without success.
Shall the territory be divided on an
east and west line? Shall we have a
North Dakota and q South Dakota?
The sentiments of the people as
voiced in the election which is to take
place on Tuesday, Nov. s, will probably
have more to do with congress in its
decision than anything which has yet
been done. It is not necessary to emu.
merate the great disadvantages under
which we have been laboring as a terri
tory. The benefits to be dirived from
statehood far outweigh those which we
enjoy as territory. That which the
people of this territory are entitled to
they should have. 1t is a fundamental
law of our land hat q territory
shall be admitted into the Union when
it shall have sixty thousand inhabitants.
The last general election indicates that
we have a population o fnearly six hun
dred thousand. Dakota has an area of
147, 700 square miles. In 1880, if the
people had been distributed over the
territory, there would not have been
more than n person to the square
mile. On the same basis there are now
about four persons to the square mile.
While in 1880 there were about thirty
one thousand families in the territory
there are now about one hundred and
forty thousand. We are not adventur-
ers; we have come to stay.
To see the strides that have been
made in the past seventeen years we
have only to glance at the population
in 1870, which was about fourteen thous'
and; at it in 1880 when 1t was one hun
dred and thirty-five thousand; and now
it is estimated at nearly six hundred
thousand. If admitted as two states
the expenses of state government would
be greatly decreased by a share Of the
proceeds arising from the sale of the
school sections of land, to which states
are entitled under the new law. The
law can be better and much more sat-
isfactorily administered if there is a
division. AS it is, the territory is toe
cumbersome and unwieldy. There arc
so many cases now before them as a
supreme court, that it is utterly i'm
possible for them to do justice to the
business. Litigation is expensive be
cause Of the great distance it is neces
sary to travel in order to attend prop
erly to legal business. Many a man is
compelled to suffer injustice at the
hands of one with whom he had hac
differences in civil matters because O.
the expense of getting to court.
That the desire for division is univer.
sal is evidenced by the fact that for
fifteen years the question has been agi
tated by our legislature, and this re
gardIess of party. The people have
petitioned congress, and have respect
fully presented their grieva noes to thu
president, and have asked that justice
be not refused them. Examine thu
statistics of the United States, and tn,
records of the postofice department
and of the internal revenue department
and you can see how Dakota compares
with other states and territories, ant
what she is and does towards increasing
the revenue Of the United States. TIL
public debt of the territory could be
easily apportioned. This debt has
been created for the purpose of erect
ing public buildings, and the bond
specify for what purpose they hav'
been issued. These public building
haye been distributed throughout til
territory, and North Dakota can assume
the debt for those buildings which ma,
, lie within its borders.
Admission of the territory as a who'll
would be unwise; it would be unnat
ural and would lead to endless Difficult
ties. The government Of q state o
territory is greatly influenced by rail
roads, and the interests of the road
running north and south through tn
: southern part of the territory are or
: posed to those of roads further nortl
. and which run east and west. Th'
major portion of the population is il
! the southern part of the territory, ant
those people are so far removed from
the central and northern part as t
make their views and interests so differ
ent that there would be constant differ
ences and discussions were we admitted
as a whole.
. 1t has been said by prominent pull
e lie men, members of congress, that til
people of Dakota do not know VIVA
they want and that they do not kno,
e how to govern themselves. Our popu
lot;on ia 1~oroolv made I'M If neonle VIII